The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-03
JURY EXEMPTIONS.
WHAT THE MILITIA HAVE TO SAY
ABOUT THIS MATTER

Origin ana purpose Oh Inc ElSSeAAb
Law-An OLD Law That May be En-
forced.
The new bill introduced by Capt Gordon,
at the instance of the grand jury, repeating
that part Of the military bill which exempts
fifteen members of each military company
from jury duty, is stirring up the soldier
boys considerably. A NEWS reporter inter
viewed a number OF the officers
of the Savannah organizations yes
teIdav and found wide diversity of
opinion OH the subject They all agree on
one point and that is the desirability of de
creasimg the exemption list. They agree,
however. that it Is hardly fair to seek out
the military organizations for such an at
tack first There are ten companies here,
and $50 men would be exempt If each COM
pany claimed It's full list, but as a matter Of
fact only some fifty men have claimed
this exemption. But they also claim TINS;
The great State of Georgia makes
no provision for her militia. They are sup
posed to reap sufficient honor and glory TO
repay them for all their arduous drilling
and the expenses caused each member III
the effort TO give the State militia worthy
OF her
THE. ORIGIN OF THE LAW.
The old law exempted all the members OF
the military companies. That was repeated,
and as no bill could be passed giving them
any pecuniary assistance, the present law
was adopted, giving each company
the right to have fifteen pay members
on their roll ut from SO TO $50 yearly, this
payment emitting the member to exemption
IRON Jury duty This money goes TO the
conlDanies and is the only outside source OF
revenue they have. They point TO the state
OF Florida that pays its militia while In en-
campment, while on duty and allows each
company some 5000 per year; their armories
are also paid for by the State. North ana
South Carolina also provide generously for
their militia. sodoes Virginia. In fact, as the
gentIeInen interested claim. Georgia is the
only State that generously allows It's militia
to pay their own expenses and gracefully
accepts the honor of having the best militia
corps in the South.
III say the members of the companies,
s'they will pass a measure giving us pc
cuniary assistance to enable US to keep up
the morale of the corps, that would suit us
as well and even better than the present
law"
WHY THE GRAND JURY ACTED.
"As to why the grand jury recommended
this move, IL Is hard TO say" remarked an
other officer in reply tO an inquiry regard
ing that point. But il may be explained
from this fact For the petit jurors there
is list OF some z, 600 names to select from.
On the grand jury list there are only POS
names, OF course, with this small number
a person is apt to be drawn often, and
that probably suggested the repeal OF
this law to secure more grand jury
talesnen. But it seems to me If there
are $500 names ON the other list, that the
jury commissioners could easily remove
this trouble bv adding several hundred
names from the petit list There are plenty
OF good citizens ON that who would make
good grand jurymen"
Regarding the justice of the case, another
gentleman connected with the First Volun-
teer regiment Of Georgia said: This is q
one-sided business For instance, when the
last law was enacted, the companies
in the larger cities bad special
bills passed exemptiug them as a body.
The Governors Horse Guards In Atlanta,
125 men, are all exempt by special bill.
The Atlanta Artillery, new organization,
hardly year old, have bill up for their
exemption. Capt. Clark, of the Richmond
Hussars. has bill nearly ready, eXempting
his company And so it is through the en-
tire STATE.
THE DUTY OF THE STATE.
sit seems to me the military companies
have right TO be supported by the State
The State Uses them whenever and wherever
necessary, and the turbulent spirits are kept
in check by them. They are, in verify
the police of the State. Other States look
after their militia organizations with great
State pride, and donate annually large sums
10 keep up the standard of their troops
But Georgia, | regret to say, shows a very
poor State pride in this matter. The militia
really guard lie aud property in the State,
and are of immense value in this respect
alone, but the State, as such, does not recog-
nze our just claims in this matter"
All admit the bad features of the
existing law, but as it gives them the only
help they now receive they very naturally
dislike TO lose it. No steps have been taken
III the matter as yet, but probably a meet
ing of the officers of the battalion will be
held soon to consider what action to take in
the premises. Parties outside of military
circles say other exemptions should be
repealed also. For" said one gentleman,
''0ur jury trials are beginning to be a
farce. Good men are summoned, but gem
orally those most wanted-the level-headed.
clear minded business men-always get off
on some exemption or technicality. The re-
suit is the juries are at times filled with in
competent men, and the whole system need
lessly bears the disgrace of inefficiency,
when the trouble lies in this exemption
business
REMINDED OF AN OLD LAW.
''You look up the list Of those who
are exempt and publish it, and I'll
warrant you'll astonish lots of people
at the immense number of those exempted
or course, the militia need the money their
exemptions bring them in, but it seems TO
me the legislators can devise better plan
than the present one"
Another remarked, speaking of the dead
laws now on the statute books "Do you
know that Georgia has law that every
man between certain ages must perform
certain military duty7n The reporter adj
mitted he was not aware of its exist
ence "Well, it's there, and one
OF these days there win be
some fun. The -Prohibitionists
threaten TO take up that almost forgotten
law and compel its enforcement the fines
going 10 the educational fund In this way
they expect TO secure IA big sum for the
school system. But don't give me away ON
this It's on the quiet There win be fun
ahead when they start the ball rolling
LAWRENCE HANLEY'S BENEFIT.
The Danicheffs to be Given by the